Very nice! It's bigger than I thought it would be, but you're right it's charming. Couldn't help but think when you mentioned replacing the big picture window in the parlor that maybe a nice big bay window would look great. Maybe with a window seat?

You are going to be busy!

That's a very good idea, Schoolhouse! The windows can go bigger but they can't go smaller. I'll add it to my list and we'll see what happens. I was thinking of adding some of those greenhouse windows in the addition so a bay window may compliment that on the opposite side of the house.

The house is 24x24, the addition 10x25. Maybe the pictures make it look bigger than it is. The garage almost doubles the size at 20x24. The main part of the house was built in the early 20's. These little houses are very prevalent in this area of the country and are very scaled down versions of the American Four-Square. This house is still just four rooms inside the main part of the building.

I'm not going to busy a bit. I'm hiring a contractor and others will be doing all this work ;) I'll just be standing back to the sidelines with the big stupid grin on my face.

MeMo

Sounds like you have a LOT of fun coming up ! What a great project and a wonderful location too...and the price is GREAT !! Take LOTS of pics. c

Excellent MeMo, I'm so excited for you!

While you're replacing all that plaster & drywall, I'd add insulation of the exterior walls/ceiling to the list. That helped a lot in my fire-damaged fixer upper.

When you re-do the porch, I'd consider extending it to the addition if possible, with entry at the dining room door. A path from mailbox walkway with flower beds on either side?

Have fun supervising! Making decisions is work, too.

Ana

What a cute place Memo. Have fun remodeling and try not to stress. Will look forward to progress reports with pictures. :-)

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

Fun, fun, fun! Your plans sound wonderful. I agree about insulating it to the max!

Oh, i want to see the views out of every window!!! lol. Also, when replacing rooms/floors, etc, I would put in electric radiant heat. Did this in the old house, when I replaced the downstairs bath, and would do it again, anywhere I had the opportunity. I used sun-mat(I know, I sound like an advert again), but it maintains the ambient temperature in a room, at your head level, perfect. Now, carpenter/handyman did not do it correctly - grrrrr, but it is not that hard, if you get a 'new' brain.

Love it, Memo - right on~~~

congrats!!!! I had a feeling it was going to be yours...good luck with all the work...it will be a fun place to get away. We will be looking forward to pictures :)

What a great place! You're going to have so much fun. Congrats!

Soooo cute, but what an exciting adventure transforming this charmer into your own. Definitely want to see pics along the way. I'm really excited for you.
Mmmmm, now where's that crowbar, I can feel the urge coming on, I still have to rip those shelves out in the living room but DH would rather I wait till after Christmas it is going to be a messy job.

Annette

Thanks, Carolyn, and thanks for the encouragement!

Ana, I will be stuffing insulation in every crack I see, believe me, I know first hand how cold and drafty old houses can be. I love your idea of extending the porch all the way down the length of the house and I'll keep that thought in mind while I play around with pencil and paper. I was thinking though that maybe I would move the back door around the corner and using some nice french doors so I can watch the sunrise from my kitchen table in the mornings. So many ideas my brain is swimming ;)

Thanks Flowerlady! Thanks Cyn!

Nancy, you are a gal after my own heart! The views out the windows were exactly what made me fall in love with this house. I find each view very pleasing and relaxing, even in winter. If not the far off views than the view of the things (plants, shrubs, trees) within the yard it's self. I Googled your Sun Mat System and it does look very simple to use. I bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks for the tip!

Keesha,
I have wanted this house for two years but others in my family kept telling me to stay away from it. So I did. I looked at lots of others and I prayed a lot. Then the other day something just told me to do what ever I could to try to get it. And I got it! Now I feel very peaceful that my prayers have been answered and I'm not worried about the work it needs or anything else about it. Just happy.

Thanks, Skibby!

Annette, I've worked my fanny off on every house I've ever lived in to make it into a home, even one that someone else had worked very hard on and considered done but I had to make it mine. This one will be no different and I'm quite comfortable with that. I love the planning, the execution and have always been happy with the end results. I can't wait to put my touch on this little cutie!

MeMo

I think french doors are ALWAYS a splendid idea!!! So glad you followed your heart. I find I am never sorry when I do that and I am sure you will be smiling every step of the way as you make your dream cottage a reality. Can't wait to see the in-progress pics as well as the end result. Enjoy the journey, MeMo!

Its a sweet cottage MeMo, I'm happy, happy, happy for you, Martha

Good for you Memo! Congrats on your new place. I can see all the potential cuteness, and the setting is just lovely.
I'm so glad you chose your dream house
We found ours in much the same way. Lots of my friends were suprised I wanted this house, but when looked at closely, it was solidly built, and the price was right - we could afford to get done to it what we wanted and make it into our little dream house!
We had some ups and downs but I am so pleased with the results. I'm glad you followed your heart and bought the place you could tell was "home"!!

GGG

Thanks again, Cyn. I appreciate your encouragement so much.
Martha, thanks! I'm glad you like the little house.
GGG, Thanks so much to you too. You and your little houses are an inspiration to me. You've done such wonderful things with both of them and especially the one you call home. Faith and determination can go a long way when we are patient can't they? Your home is so wonderful!

MeMo

Memo! On HGTV right now (in my area anyway) on the show called "Unsellables". They going to remodel a little cottage to look more like a country cottage so the owner can sell it!
I've never watched this show but when I saw the small house I thought of you.

Thanks, Schoolhouse! No HGTV waaahhhh :(

MeMo

Waaaa. Oh well as you said maybe you can find still photos from the show online. The only time I really cringed is when they painted the fireplace white, but admit it made the room look bigger and brighter.

memo, did I miss any updates? Anything new on the cottage?

I would LOVE some updates. I bet the cottage looks cute in all the snow!

The update is a sad one I'm afraid. Shortly after I posted, we had a rainstorm. I was totally freaked out to find that the water had run into the kitchen ceiling and filled all of the lowered ceiling panels with water. I'm talking bulging here. It also filled up behind the plastic panel that was below the kitchen light and the electricity and water had a battle that caused the plastic panel to literally melt into a bowl shape that also held the water around the light fixture. I called the owner and he said he would not repair the leak until spring. I was already committed to putting a basement under the house and could not afford that and the additional roof job. I ended up backing out of the deal. I just could not bring my child and everything I own and put it all into that fire hazard of a house. I tried a number of ways to get the additional financing to fix both things but I just plain and simple do not have enough income to support both repairs.

I'm looking into other homes now. I've found one that I love which has already been completely updated on the inside. On the outside it needs new shingles and also to be sandblasted and repainted. It is built with cinder blocks. Only the top half is framed and that part is sided with vinyl siding. All of the upper trim is vinyl covered also. The furnace and water heater are both new and it has a wood burning stove in the dinning room (also new). It has a library/office on the main floor with french doors. The drawback to it is that all three of the bedrooms are upstairs (2 fights of stairs) which will work for me at this time but may not work in the future. It's been on the market for two months and I was the first person to look at it. I don't feel rushed to make a decision. I'll be searching for other properties this weekend just in case I can find something better to rule this one out. It's really nice though and needs no work from me to make it livable. Even the wall paint colors are really nice but I would rather have a different color in the kitchen. I'd also paint the kitchen cabinets just because I have had my fill of dark cabinets here at the ranch. Here is a link, below. Let me know what you honestly think of what you can see of it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Big white house

Oh darn it, memo. I'm sorry about the the cottage. But sounds like you were actually lucky that the problems presented themselves before you committed. I know how much you loved that little house.

Hey, the "Big white house" looks nice tho! Three bedrooms - that's alot, it doesn't look big enough from the outside to have two flights of stairs. Are there many steps? And the library/office is a plus. Good luck.

Memo, so sorry it didn't work out but, with all that went wrong probably a blessing in disguise. The white house looks like it has possibilities and as far as staircases go there's always the option of chair lifts when needed.
A great big Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

Annette

Ya know - better to find out now as opposed to when you had possession!!! Wowser!!! I cannot believe the prices....hang in there for a one-floor wonder. It will come to you!!!

Merry Christmas - Nancy.

Memo, sorry about the cottage, but I'm with the others-thank goodness you found out before all was said and done! The white house is pretty, but if you are concerned about the stairs, I'd say hang in there- a wonderful one-story is bound to come along. When DH and I got married we were in our 50s and the house we bought is what we call here in VA a two-story ranch. There is a full finished basement, but when our knees really do give out completely, we can live on the main floor only. It's the best of both worlds, so keep looking! Merry merry.

Thanks for the update, MeMo. Good that you were able to get out of the other house.
I like this big white house a LOT and I'm sure you will figure out how to make it work!
(though I would vote for delaying until you can find something all on one floor, if possible).
Good luck!
Patti